Wednesday, April 23, 2014

So over the weekend I did a lot of baking and cooking. I ended up making
two batches of chocolate chip cookies and a batch of sugar cookies. I
also made a meatloaf. I work hard in all of the things I make so that they will always be worthy of others enjoyment. As you can see in the pictures, I put a lot of effort into decorating my sugar cookies (even if it is just a temporary thing and will be eaten). I want in those moments before someone eats my cookies to appreciate the time and effort that went into baking them. Because then that reflects back onto me and how I approach things in general in life.

I initially wanted to make a summer jello instead
of the sugar cookies, but I had forgotten to get the recipe from my
mother. After this realization, I remembered how in one of my art classes we had talked
about the evolution of culture and how generations build onto previous generations. This relates to my baking and inability to bake being all based upon having a recipe, a recipe which originally came from my mother who in turn received it from another person.

Recipes definitely have a history. They originate some time in the past and get passed down through the generations. Often times a person will slightly alter a recipe, adding notes here and there on the side. My mother has done this to the recipes that she has collected over time and now has passed the originally recipes with her added notes onto me.

In this regard she is adding to and refining the recipe. She is not destroying or starting the recipe over from scratch. This is just like how in society we want to try to add to our culture and not just randomly, but in a controlled effort, trying to improve the groundwork that has already been laid. If my mother had decided to destroy those recipes then we would no longer have any way of making them and they would be lost from our family/culture (which would be a shame because some are quite delicious). This analogy applies to how we should not just go around uprooting past accomplishments just because we can, or just because we think they are bad. Because then we are just losing some of our own history that will never be found again. Instead we should try to add to our current world, just as my mother adds notes to her recipes to improve them (without destroying the original copy).

Monday, April 21, 2014

So I have some updates of things that I have been working on. The first is an updated version of the 1st tentacle monster that I posted here. This picture doesn't fully do it justice, but I was having major issues trying to get a good photo of it. I may add some more dramatic shading to it, but this is pretty much the finished form.

The next thing that I have been working on is my plan t monster drawing. We had to make a monster out of a stick and other found materials. Then we had to make some concept sketches from that initial structure and then based off of those concept sketches we made a complete drawing of the creature. After having critique I received some suggestions to make it slightly better, so I still have some compositional elements I have to add to make it even better. But, here is my drawing.

There is a story to this little guy. He is first off a pet about the size of a Golden Retriever. His name is "Rex" (it says so on his collar, but it may be too small to see). He is male, because only males have the wing-like formations on their backs to try and attract females. And the way these things "sniff" each other out is by feeling/sending one another using the structures on their foreheads. I do still have things to add to this drawing and perhaps I will show the final final drawing, but this is how he stands as of right now. If you want you can try and compare his similarities and dissimilarities to the stick structure I posted previously (although that picture doesn't full showcase his whole body).

Thursday, April 17, 2014

It's interesting how people can just walk into your life and then just as easily walk out, although their exiting usually involves some removal of your being from your heart. Or in the very slightest some foot prints have been left where they used to reside in your heart. I've just recently had a friend tell me they don't want to talk any more and would rather go down a different life path. It was really hard to hear because I really cared about this person deeply. I never thought it would come to this and quite honestly I'm not prepared for it. I just wanted things to go back to the way they were, or at least stay the same. It's weird how people change and drift apart, but it's even worse when they actively tell you they don't cherish your companionship anymore as much as you do theirs. And, then you just end up feeling like a loser and/or fool. Things like this never come at a "good time," but this is particularly a bad one. I am currently experiencing a really busy quarter that's kind of stressful that I need to focus on and this is slightly getting in my way. Even tonight I can't seem to fall asleep, so instead I decided to post this blog entry.

This isn't quite the exact message that I'm going for, but the gist of it is, and it's just a rather beautiful evocative song (which is ironic because I also just heard this song today). Songs like this definitely can get me emotional.

I'm just in a rather melancholy mood mixed with just a dash of anger. I hope it will pass soonish and I can continue to move on in my life unperturbed. But, currently this event is rather fresh in my mind occupying way too much time and space. The only good thing about these types of events is that they usually inspire me to be creative and draw etc. (Always try to find the silver lining).

On a cheerier note, in a day or two I shall have some more artsy phartsy things to post about. I try to stay positive so that I don't get weighted down by things of the world.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

So yesterday involved some creativity for me. My room mates and I do this thing where we draw on our class schedules and then post them up on the wall so that everyone can see everyone else's schedule. Well, this is what I decided to draw on my schedule this quarter. It's a mythical fire kitty. It is sad though, because 3 of my other room mates have become extremely lazy and have quite posting their schedules and drawing on them. Only my actual room mate and I do it still. Which is kind of saddening for me because I love to see what other people choose to draw on their schedules. I don't care if it's "good" or "bad" I just like seeing people's mind processes and ideas.
Then later that day I finished creating a monster out of found organic materials and hot glue. Next I'm going to draw some concept sketches with it and eventually create a full blow drawing of some sort. Here is a nice picture from the front of it with it's mouth open. I must say I got stabbed multiple times from it's "teeth" which are made from the back bone of a palm frond. But, in person it does look rather cool.

I also did a sketch of a dragon, but I don't have a picture of that one on me. As you can tell, I enjoy drawing creatures and monsters and the like. It's exciting for me.

Friday, April 11, 2014

So in my art class we talked a lot about reality and what exactly it is, and how do we know that we are experiencing reality and not just a dream. This is a question that has plagued man for probably as long as he has been a sentient being with consciousness. How do we know that the reality that we experience is "true" reality and not some sort of illusion or something created in our head alone? Well, as can be expected I immediately thought of The Matrix movie and how it deals with reality. This scene from the movie expresses quite succinctly how we can never truly be sure what "reality" is and that it is purely based upon the synapses in our brain and our experiences.

Morpheus Explains to Neo that what we believe to be true may not always be in fact true. Our brain is easily able to accept this fake reality as if it is the truth. In reverse the movie Sunshine of the Spotless Mind postulates the idea that our minds can forget aspects of reality through our memories. But are we truly still the same human if we do not have all of our experiences intact? This central quote of the movie begins to paradoxically support the idea that it is good to be free of painful memories, but by the end of the scene (and the movie) that is proved false.

This movie demonstrates that our reality can be changed through the destruction of memories. Through our lives we create our selves and the culture of ourselves yet when this destruction occurs of our self it affects our entire being as well as our reality and in fact just sets us backwards having to start again from scratch, yet ironic usually ending up in the same situation again. When we become so obsessed with the idea of power and destruction we end up attacking the very things that helped us evolve. This scene from Star Trek: Into Darkness really captures the fascination that humans have with destruction and savagery.

Khan is used as a weapon to help create "a stronger" Star fleet, yet because he is so full of savagery and destruction he ends up destroying the very thing that he was hired to protect and help flourish. Violence and destruction of this scale ended up just setting them all backwards having to restart over again. This can be seen as a warning to humans right now about the consequences of barbarism as world breaking.

To end on a happier note, here is an example of world making through contemporary culture. Even if it is just an April fools joke, this Google video/app demonstrates how a digitally created world could be integrated into our current reality, promoting adventure as well as cooperation. They made a spoof video based on the idea that the world of Pokemon could be integrated into our world through the technology of smart phones. In order to become the best Pokemon master one would have to travel and explore the world capturing the various Pokemon. They are creating a symbiotic relationship between a digital world and our "real" world. Although who knows if this actually is the "real" world?

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

So, this past week has been a week of starting new projects and working to make them better. I'm going to focus on two new developments. The first is a monster drawing that I'm currently still working on for a monster drawing class I'm taking. I still need to finish coloring, shading, and adding a background to the image. Here are two pictures of my monster. Still needs some work =]

Then in a completely different art vein, I have started working on a spoken word piece.It still needs some intense editing, but here is the beginning rough draft. It's meant to be read aloud/performed (and I even have the atmosphere picked out as well), but reading it online will still get the point across. As a quick summary, it's about experiencing blues dancing, something I have come to love.

"Thighs pulsing. Hips swaying. Eyes closed.

The rhythmic beating of the bass courses through tense bodies. Bodies so infused with hormones, that they leak out of every pore. Pheromones drift lazily around, unaware of their aphordisiatic affect. The need for closeness becomes stronger, wild clasping of partners chaotic, a dance between two mirages into a dance of singularity. The image does not last. There is a break, distance created, yet contact always maintained through the hands. Inertia and movement creates tension in outstretched arms, until the two snap back together like wild magnets.

Now chest to chest, head to head, hearts racing, pounding, exhilaration and fear course through adrenaline drunk veins. The pace increases, breathing becomes heavy while sweat rivulets down lithe spinning bodies. Everyone is unaware of the other couples gyrating around them. Each pair encapsulated in their own music propelled reality. The climax crescendos passionately, thrilling senses, dilating pupils.

The beat begins to slow. Feet move in unison, bodies sway sensually. Thoughts begin to intrude, worry, fear, inadequacy, dislike, attraction. Slowly the two organic machines come to a stop. They step away distancing themselves from intimacy. The trance inducing bass re-starts. Another partner is sought. People always seeking more, more love, more passion, more life. They dance for freedom, they dance for purpose, they just dance.

Thighs pulsing. Hips swaying. Eyes closed..."

I hope the mood I'm trying to portray comes across accurately. I have come to really appreciate the art of dance and spoken word, and I hope that I can fuse the two together nicely. As a parting word, here is a video featuring different styles of dance from A-Z.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

I love videos. Music videos, TV videos, internet videos. I love to watch things, especially YouTube videos. So, you will probably see a lot of posts involving some sort of a video. It will be a common occurrence. I may just do posts with lists of various YouTube videos I enjoy. Some may have connections and others just be completely random. Many of the things I like seem related to art in some way shape or form, and they all some how pertain to my own world I'm living out.

Since finding inspiration for art is something that I too struggle with, I would like to leave you all with this clever video. Enjoy, expect many more featured videos in the future, and goodnight.

So, today is the day after Deltopia in Santa Barbara and even though I do not participate in the raucous revelries of my fellow classmates, I have heard about all the crazy things that happened. It's amazing how the mob mentality can spread so quickly and cause so much destruction and violence, especially when alcohol and drugs are involved. All of this out of control partying has made me miss my own home town of Sacramento. It never gets this out of hand there and there is always more to do (in my opinion). I will now continue the bragging of my home city with a 3 minute time lapse video by Justin Majeczky showcasing the beauty and liveliness of the Sacramento area. Sacramento Timelapse, stitches together more than 20,000 still photographs taken throughout the region over an 18-month period. Enjoy.

On another note (yet still connected to the idea of drugs and alcohol) Colorado has just recently made it legal to buy recreational pot. Driving while high is still considered driving under the influence and therefore people can receive a DUI. As a response to this, Colorado has created a campaign featuring three commercials that comment on the fact that driving while high is still illegal. Here are those videos, they are expected to air starting Monday.